“I’m different,” the French woman states on her official Facebook page, “but I want to show everyone that I can do a lot of things.”

But there was one thing she had always wanted to do that had eluded her: to present the weather on television.

It seemed an improbable dream for someone with Down syndrome. Ségard couldn’t read or write, according to Le Parisien, and had no broadcast training.

But her lifelong wish was picked up by Unapei, a French nonprofit that advocates for “an inclusive and supportive society.” It asked: Why couldn’t a woman with Down syndrome present the weather on TV?

“These are people who, despite their disabilities, have abilities,” Unapei’s president, Luc Gateau, told the French news site La Croix, according to the Independent. And they “only ask to express them on condition that we take the time to welcome them in a universe able to adapt to their handicap.”

Not one, but two, television networks invited Ségard to do the weather. She went with the national public network France 2, and trained for four days with the station’s weather team. One presenter, Chloé Nabédian, gave her tips on how to present in front of a green screen.

Finally, Ségard was ready for her television debut: a March 14 evening broadcast. That morning, she asked for people’s encouragement on Facebook.

“Today is a big day for me,” she said, alongside a video of her brushing her hair. Thousands replied.

“Go Mélanie!” one Facebook user wrote. “Don’t just give us the weather but also your smile and all the love of your heart. Bravo!”

Her older brother Cyril, who had followed her throughout her training, had just one piece of advice for his sister, according to the BBC: “Imagine you’re alone at home doing the weather. Have fun.”